


Proposal for Akiko

by eyelessbaby



Category: Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Angst, Character Study, Contemplation, Crushes, Date Night, F/M, Feelings, Friendship, Internal Monologue, Love, Marriage, Marriage Proposal, Piano, Post-Relationship, Rain, Relationship(s), Romance, Self-Doubt, in the rain, musician - Freeform, post-confession, post-show, romance angst, romantic struggles, side characters, usagi plays cupid, where are they now
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-10
Updated: 2020-09-10
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:29:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,781
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26385676
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eyelessbaby/pseuds/eyelessbaby
Summary: Years after Usagi helped Yusuke Amade confess to his true love, Akiko Yanagi, she meets Yusuke again. His love for Akiko has not waned, but he's struggling to tell her something.
Relationships: Amade Yusuke & Tsukino Usagi, Osaka Naru & Tsukino Usagi, amade yusuke / yanagi akiko, yusuke amade & usagi tsukino, yusuke amade / akiko yanagi
Kudos: 5





	Proposal for Akiko

In his lonesome studio, Yusuke’s fingers gently caressed the familiar, worn keys of the piano — his fingers eager for that melodious music that poured from his heart. They were not hesitant like the way his tongue stumbled over the words he truly wanted to say. He knew the piano well, was attuned to her desires; he knew the sounds that would play with each key he pressed. There was no doubt in his mind that the piano could calm him, could absorb his feelings and make them known, almost tangible.

He almost forgot that there was a time way back when he first encountered a piano that it did not come so naturally to him. It took him years to master the delicacy needed in his hands, the knowledge of music, the respect for the piano. It was like learning a new language— learning how to communicate with the piano itself. It allowed him to converse with the world, but at the same time, he secluded himself from those he admired most by meticulously honing his craft 

Akiko.

For all those years she sat near him, could she not hear his yearning for her in each keystroke? 

His eyes fluttered closed as the tape in the recording deck spun. Slowly, an image fluttered into his mind’s eye. Delicately surveying her silhouette, he gazed upon her long, stockinged legs, her pressed pencil shirt, her starched blouse. Though she was fully dressed, fully buttoned up, everything she wore complimented her shape. Her stark features along her sophisticated yet forever young looking face were breathtaking. 

His passion trickled through the keys, and the music grew more intense as the image of her grew clearer. For how long has she been the muse of his yearning, wanting heart? He couldn’t even recall. Perhaps, since he first laid eyes on her. Over the years, they grew closer, they respected each other, they worked together, yet he still felt a distance between them as if he wasn’t enough to make her happy— as if he didn’t have the right words to convert his love for her. He didn’t want her to feel neglected. But he knew he spent far more hours in the day touching his piano than touching her or speaking to her, but she was never far from his mind. Was she thinking of him? 

Even now, he did not know her as intimately as he knew his piano. But never once did he want to give up on her. It took him so long to simply confess to her, and now that she was with him, even though she knew and accepted his feelings. How was he to move on from there? She still managed to elude him with her confidence, her affections, her words. She meant everything to him; he didn’t want to part from her. He wanted more of her. 

His fingers glided across the keys as his song came to a close. The tape spun in the deck as he stepped away from the piano to collect his recording. He grabbed a marker and wrote “Proposal for Akiko” on the tape before placing it in a case and then into his suit pocket. Even in the drafty studio, he could feel his cheeks warm up.

Yusuke looked up and out the window— rain was coming down hard, and it was far darker than he had realized. He looked to the clock on the wall and his eyes widened. Was it really already 8? He checked his watch to be sure, but noticed that the hour hand had gotten stuck. Damn. He had a reservation for 8:30 for him and Akiko, but now he wasn’t sure if he would make it on time. But still, he’d try.

He rushed out to the street corner, and it only took a mere instant before he got drenched in the rain as he tried to hail a cab— with no luck, of course. What a busy hour. He tried with each passing cab, all occupied or off duty. Still no luck. 

As if Yusuke wasn’t drenched enough, a motor scooter skidded through a large puddle as it halted at the stoplight. He tried to shake himself off to no avail. 

“Mr. Amade?” Spoke a soft voice. 

Yusuke hardly heard her through all the crashing rain. 

“Mr. Amade, is that really you?”

Yusuke looked up to see a young woman flip up her visor to reveal a familiar blue-eyed blond. 

“Miss Tsukino?”

“Hehe! Yup! That’s me!” 

“Wow! L- look how you’ve grown! Quite the young woman,” he said, glancing away as his cheeks darkened for being caught in such an embarrassing situation. 

“What are you doing out in the rain like this?’

“Oh! Well, it’s a bit embarrassing. I’m going to be late for a meeting.”

“A meeting at this time of night?”

“Ah, I suppose it’s m- more of a…”

“A date?! With Miss Yanagi, perhaps?”

“Y- yes.”

“Are you still embarrassed to admit your feelings about her? Aren’t you two together now? What a poor excuse for a romantic musician you are! Your music makes women’s hearts throb, you know, Mr. Amade. Yet the one you long for is always left in the lurch.” 

Yusuke was caught speechless and stuttering from being lectured yet again by a girl more than half his age! Did she truly know what she was talking about? Was he neglecting poor Akiko to write music about his love that spoke to other women rather than the one that it was truly meant for? 

“I don’t know,” he muttered to himself.

“Well, what are you standing around for?!” 

“Huh?”

“Get on! I’ll take you to her,” Usagi said, gesturing for him to get on the scooter with her. 

“Oh! R-right!” Yusuke stammered and fumbled onto the back of her scooter.

“Hold on tight, old man. I’ll get you to her on time.”

“Whaaaa!!!”   
Before Yusuke knew it, Usagi had taken off! For a brief moment, he thought he was going to fall off and be left behind. But he quickly clung onto Usagi, wrapping his arms around her thin waist. He felt so silly, like an overgrown child riding on the back of her scooter, racing to his love with the help of a young girl who was not afraid to berate a full grown man. 

The rain was practically beading off them as they sped through the city streets. Had he even told Usagi where they were meeting? He couldn’t recall. His mind was remiss when he was with Usagi. Could she really read him so easily? Then why was the same so hard for him? 

He rested his head against her back. The slight dampness didn’t bother him. She was warm, and somehow, he could almost feel her smiling even without seeing her face. It relaxed his ill-postured body and a soft smile formed on his lips. He really wouldn’t have gotten anywhere with Akiko if not for Usagi. For that alone, he owed her so much. Yet it felt like she was always the one lending him a hand.

“Miss Tsukino!” He shouted above the rush of rain and loud engines.

“What?” She shouted back, glancing back at her passenger briefly to make sure he was alright— as if to make sure he was still there, despite his arms still being around her— she had grown accustomed to the touch in this short amount of time.

“Thank you…”

“Don’t thank me yet, old man! We’re not there yet!”

He just laughed as she drove on. His laughter mixed and faded with the sounds of the bustling city night as they sharply rounded the next corner. 

It wasn’t long before they pulled over, up in front of the large hotel he usually met Akiko at. He must’ve told Usagi where they were meeting after all. When pulled over to park, Yusuke was still clinging to her for a moment in fear of her taking off at such high speeds for such a little scooter. When he realized she was safely parked and turned the engine off, he let go and dismounted from the scooter carefully. 

“Miss Tsukino,” he spoke up gently— eyes cast down upon the ground.

“You can thank me later. You’re going to be late,” she urged him. 

“No, that’s not it. I want to ask her to marry me.”

“Then what are you waiting for?!”

“How can I be sure she’ll say yes?”

“I suppose you can’t be sure. Girls are so fickle,” she said before mockingly sticking out her tongue. “You know, you really are useless. Just ask her already!”

“May I have your contact information? To let you know how things go?” He asked hesitantly. 

Usagi nodded and wrote it down for him on the slightly soggy paper he offered her. He stuffed it in his pocket before he rushed inside, waving her off gratefully as soon as he got in the main door.

Usagi wavered back cheerfully as she watched him disappear deeper inside. She didn’t leave until she saw him hug the beautiful figure of Miss Yanagi. Akiko didn’t seem to care that he was dripping wet and welcomed him into her embrace.

As Usagi was about to take off, she looked up at the sky as the clouds began to part and the last few raindrops fell from the starry sky. She smiled and drove off.

***

The radio played soft jazz as Naru and Usagi attempted to make some cookies together. Usagi fumbled with the bowl of dry ingredients as she wicked flour onto the floor. Ding! Dong! When the doorbell suddenly rang, she nearly dropped the bowl entirely. 

“You get that. I’ll handle this,” Naru said, taking the bowl from Usagi.

Naru tried to watch the door curiously as she stirred the ingredients together. But her curiosity soon dissipated when she heard an announcement from the radio and cranked it up.

“Usagi! Hurry up! Yusuke Amade’s new song is on the radio!” Naru called out to her excitedly. 

“You really haven’t gotten over him, have you?” Usagi teased as she walked back into the kitchen.

“Of course not! His music is so sophisticated and romantic,” Naru said dreamily. When she looked back at Usagi, her eyes widened. “Woah! Who are those from?” she asked as she eyed Usagi cradling a large bouquet of roses.

Usagi remained silent for a moment as she read over the card attached to the flowers. She smiled softly and looked up. “Oh, just some silly old man.” 

Naru looked at her with disbelief as she glanced over Usagi’s shoulder to read the card. 

It read: 

“She said yes. Thank you for everything  
~ YA”


End file.
